Why Kill Dandelions?

To some folks, the dandelion is no more than a common weed to be disdained and removed from the lawn at all costs. But dandelions serve many useful purposes so why kill dandelions?

I remember as a kid, when my sister and I got into a tussle, our dad punished us by making us go weed the dandelions from the yard. I also remember my father in law painstakingly pulling up all the dandelions by the root from his yard. It was a few years before I saw one grow there.

Often people resort to using an herbicide to rid their yards of them, a questionable practice as the herbicides may be dangerous in the environment.



I love seeing the dandelions. Their sunny little yellow heads dotting the yard always make me happy. To me, their arrival means that after a long cold winter, Spring is finally here.

Let me share some of the reasons I like dandelions:

• Bees love dandelions. If you watch, you can see mason bees, bumble bees and honey bees busy collecting pollen from dandelion flowers. These pollinators need a variety of pollen sources to survive.
• Raw dandelion leaves are delicious when harvested in early spring before they flower or in the fall after a frost. They are slightly bitter and quite tasty in a salad. They are also high in calcium, vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium.
• You can also cook the greens and if using them throughout the warmer weather, it is recommended that they be blanched twice; changing the water in between, as they tend to become more bitter once they have flowered.
• Dandelions have shown to have important health benefits such as boosting the immune system, aiding in digestion, lowering blood pressure, removing toxins from the body and more.
• If you don’t like dandelion flowers, cut them and make wine. They can also be made into dandelion fritters.

Last, my very favorite reason for liking dandelions is it’s the first flower my children picked and brought to me.